Knight In Shining Whatever
by ibelieveinthegood87
Summary: What happens when Izzie is hurt and its up to Alex to be her knight in shining whatever? Can he handle the pressure, can he save his damsel in distress? Lexzie story set after Rise Up, hurt/comfort/angst/romance. R'n'r! :
1. The Damsel in Distress

Hey everyone! So, I had become frustrated with the lack of Izzie Alex stories being published lately, so I decided to write one. So please all of you hidden talents out there, follow my lead, write a story! The world is in need of some good Lexzie stories. Hope you enjoy :) The first chapter is kind of dark, but I promise you, it gets better. Mainly Lexzie fluff with a bit of angst thrown in.

Rating: Nc-17

Warning: indirect mentions of sexual assault in first chapter. Please do not read if this bothers you.

Alex lay in his bead alone, shifting back and forth trying to fall asleep, when his phone rang. Who the hell was calling him, it was his one night off this week, and he had hardly slept in days. On top of it, he was not in a good mood. He was supposed to meet Izzie in Joe's bar after work, and she had stood him up. He waited for her for almost an hour, before he finally got in his car and drove home. No, Alex was most definitely not in a good mood, so whoever happened to be calling him, they would have to deal with it; he was not answering the phone. He pulled the pillow over his head and tried again to fall asleep. Then his phone rang again. This time he rolled over to see who it was.

_Izzie_

Why was she calling him. He had half a mind not to answer the phone, see how she liked being ignored. But his heart got the best of him, maybe she had a good explanation for not showing up? At the very least, he would get a chance to yell at her, give her a piece of his mind. He flipped open his phone

"What" he said sharply, ready to let her know exactly what he was thinking in the absence of a decent explanation on her part.

But her voice changed his mind.

"Alex." She sounded different, not like Izzie, like broken Izzie.

"Alex," she said again, with increasing urgency in her voice.

"What's up Izzie." He had given in, he couldn't be mad at her, especially when it was so obvious that there was something going on.

"I..I.. I'm sorry, I didn't know who else to call." Alex was starting to get worried. His voice softened as he said,

"Izzie, its okay, just tell me what's wrong."

"I need you to come get me –"

"Where are you, I'm on my way, just tell me where you are." Alex said as he climbed out of bed and reached for a pair of jeans. Something was definitely off. And after all, he was Alex, and she was Izzie. He was always there to pick up the pieces, tonight was no exception.

"I don't know, its dark and. I'm in an alley –" What the hell happened to her? But he remained calm, and his voice stayed even.

"Okay, you're in an alley, do you see anything you recognize?"

"I don't- let me check." Her voice was growing fainter, and Alex's instincts told him to keep her talking. "Oww," he heard Izzie yelp. By now, he was already down the stairs grabbing the keys to his car. It was raining, but he hardly felt the cold droplets on his skin; he was on a mission, and Alex was nothing if not focused.

"Izzie, Izzie, tell me what you see. Look around, what can you see?"

"I can't get up, it hurts…" Okay, that was it, Alex was done playing games; she was scaring him.

"Izzie, focus, what do you see around you. I'm in my car, I need to know which way to go."

"Okay, hold on." At this point, her voice was barely above a whisper. She was holding on as best she could, but she hurt, she was tired. Then she heard an ambulance and it hit her; she was no where foreign, she was in the alley next to Joe's bar, across the street from the hospital. "I'm, I'm next to Joe's bar, I'm by the hospital." Relief was evident in her voice.

"Good, good job. I'm on my way okay, I'll meet you at the hospital okay, you hang up, and you call 911 okay Iz."

"No, no Alex –" His suggestion had obviously upset her –"I don't want them to see me like this, please, please just come get me."

"Okay Izzie, in that case, stay with me okay. Just stay with me." Her voice was fading, she was almost inaudible, he just wanted to keep her talking.

As Alex drove towards his damsel in distress, he was finally able to convince her to let him take her to the hospital. He had convinced her that it would be best, not that she had actually told him what happened, and not that she would. She just kept dodging the subject when he asked her. Still he had a pretty good idea. So as he drove, he kept her talking about anything and everything – but then her voice dropped off.

"Izzie. Izzie, where are you?" Alex could hear the rain beating against her phone, but no Izzie, her voice had disappeared. "IZZIE, talk to me, come on Iz." Alex's voice grew desperate and he speed up, ignoring the honking cars and breaking God knows how many laws. He kept his phone pressed against his shoulder and his ear, just listening for her voice. Finally, he pulled up in front of the bar and left his car parked illegally in front. Barely taking the time to turn off the engine, he jumped out of the car and ran into the alley spotting Izzie's body curled up against the wall. "Izzie!", he called as he made his way towards her, shoes leaving deep impressions in the mud. He knelt to the ground beside her and checked her pulse. It was there, but it was weak, very weak. He struggled with the right way to pick her up. She had obviously lost a lot of blood. _Why didn't I call the ambulance for her, why didn't I just insist that she call for help, why -. _ All of Alex's thoughts ceased when he saw Izzie's underwear lying on the other side of the alley. So he was right. He had seen this before, and he had suspected that was what had happened. But he never could have imagined the rage he felt when his suspicions where confirmed. "Izzie", he whispered as he finally lifted her from the ground. He held her to his chest trying to keep her warm. He had failed her once, he wasn't going to again.

A/NL So, what did you think? Let me know if I should continue or not. Just write a little review, the button is right there, there you go, good job :)

Seriously tho, I'd love to know what you think!


	2. The Worst Is Yet To Come

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews, they made me very happy, I'm so glad you liked the first chapter! So, just for you, I wrote a second one :) I hope you guys like it!

P.S.: for those of you who mentioned writing some of your own stories in the reviews, I would love to read any of them that you write! So, if you can, please send me a message and let me know if you've posted them! I'm hoping you do, because as much as I am enjoying writing this, I really love to read what other people come up with, especially with what Shonda is up to right now...

Disclaimer: It all belongs to Shondaland. I'm really thinking she should share some of it with us Lexzie fans though!

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Alex stumbled into the ER with Izzie in his arms, both of them soaking wet. Her head was lying on his shoulder and he whispered comforting words to her limp form, just hoping she would wake up. The amount of blood on both of them made it hard to tell who was injured, and at that moment, its hard to tell who was feeling the most pain. Izzie, well Izzie was struggling to hold on, but she was unconscious; she felt no physical pain. But Alex, he hurt everywhere seeing his wonderful Izzie Stevens like this: it tore at his heart while his stomach boiled thinking of what he would like to do to the bastard who hurt her.

Christina was in the ER today, bossing around her interns and doing her best to avoid making eye contact with Dr. Hunt. "3, why are you still here-"

"Dr. Yang, I thought you might" Lexie said pointing towards the door of the ER where Alex stood in a daze. Christina immediately took off towards the door calling for a nurse to find an empty bed.

"What happened," She asked Alex in her 'dr. mode', as though she only asked in order to decide the best course of treatment.

"She was outside Joe's bar, she called me. By the time I got to her, she was unconscious, she's lost a lot of blood….." Alex was trying hard to keep his voice steady, fortunately, Christina interrupted him and relieved him of this burden.

"Okay, okay. 3, 3! I need you to get Dr. Hunt, tell him we have a 28 year old female. Unconscious, but breathing. Tell him we need him, now!" A nurse came up to Christina lead the way to a bed where Alex placed a limp Izzie. In the next 60 seconds, Izzie was hooked up to countless monitors to check her vital signs before the doctors treated her in any way. The scene tore at Alex; he wasn't supposed to be here, he wasn't supposed to be the one watching a loved one suffer. He was_ supposed_ to be fixing people, figuring out how to help them, not holding their hand as he relinquished all control. No, this wasn't right, Alex was _not _supposed to be here. Yet he was, and one look at Izzie's broken form swept away any ideas he had of leaving. He was stuck here: he was stuck with her.

Just then, Dr. Owen Hunt came to the doorway and gave Christina a confused look.

"Is that?… the resident, Dr. Stevens." Dr. Hunt said

"Yes." Dr. Hunt gave her a look of amazement, then quickly sprung into action. "Okay, she's losing blood fast. We need anticoagulants and blood, now!"

"She's type O neg." Alex said from beside Izzie's bed.

"You heard him, go." They all looked at him. "Are you deaf, now!" All of the interns scurried off, but Christina stayed.

"I'll, I'll go get Mer, and George." Dr. Hunt nodded at Christina as he continued to evaluate the extent of Izzie's injuries. Alex just stood there, holding her hand. Her heart rate was slow, dropping below 40 bpm every few seconds. He just listened to the beeping. Then Dr. Hunt interrupted the silence.

"Significant bruising to the arms and stomach, and what looks like a stab wound to the abdomen, not too deep, but definitely needs stitches" he said as he peered underneath Izzie's shirt. Laceration to the head, probable concussion. We'll see after the CT scan." Someone stabbed her. Someone _stabbed _her, Alex thought to himself as his superior continued to list apparent injuries. How could anyone do that? Alex just gripped her hand tighter as his mind bombarded him with terrible images. "Karev," hearing his name pulled Alex out of his mind and back down to earth; he was thankful for the relief. "You on call tonight?"

"No sir."

"Then you're not her doctor."

"No sir. But I'm not leaving, with all due respect, you can't make me." Dr. Hunt decided not to press the issue, he would let the resident stay as long as he wasn't in the way. They were silent once more.

Then, all at once, a horde of doctors and nurses shuffled into the room, inserting IV's into Izzie's arm, as others sutured up especially deep wounds. Within minutes, her heart rate started to rise, and she regained some color in her face. Finally, the chaos died down and nearby doctors stopped hovering, satisfied that Izzie would be fine, at least until her CT scan. Finally, Alex was alone with his broken friend. His broken _girlfriend_. He stroked her cheek with his thumb, watching her chest rise and fall as she breathed in and out. He had yet to tell any of his fellow doctors that she needed a rape kit done. He just didn't know how to tell them. So instead, he just sat there next to her, listening to the surrounding machines react to the beating of her heart and occasionally chiming in with incoherent words of encouragement, "come on Iz…. Open those gorgeous eyes…..Come on Izzie. Wake up, I need……you can, I know you, do it. Wake up, wake up and look at me," so on and so forth.

Beep….beep…..beep

Finally, Alex was interrupted by Christina returning not only with Meredith and George, but with a whole team of world-class surgeons, including Dr. Bailey, Dr. Shepherd, Dr. Sloan, and even the Chief. They all walked into the room with solemn looks on their faces. Christina was the first to speak.

"Her CT scan has been scheduled for 4:00." Looked at the clock, it was now 3:30 (am). They had clearly classified her injuries as superficial, no need for hastiness. Alex was both relieved and annoyed by this; he had been hoping she would receive special treatment. He would have given it to her. George spoke next.

"What happened?" He asked. Izzie looked so helpless. Alex was about to answer him, maybe even tell them what he thought actually happened, but they were interrupted by Izzie's sudden plummet in heart rate.

"She's crashing. Get a cart in here, now" Christina called, examining Izzie for any more bleeding or other hidden injuries. However, when she lifted up Izzie's shirt, she found not blood, but increasingly dark bruises that seemed to be spreading throughout her body.

"She's bleeding internally," Alex called out, "how did you miss this!" Christina just ignored his biting comment and continued to work.

But it didn't take a doctor to realize that things had just taken a turn for the worse. Izzie was in trouble, and getting weaker by the second. Meredith and George had to hold on to Alex as Izzie was pushed out of the room towards OR2 where her emergency surgery would be preformed.

Alex was scared. They all were.

A/N: So, What do you think??? Pretty dramatic right!? Don't worry, the best is yet to come. Please let me know what you thought! And the story will only get better if you share some ideas or thoughts, so I'd love to know if you come up with anything!


	3. The Hierarchy of Needs

Hey you guys! Once again, thank you for all of the wonderful reviews. I'm sooo sorry I hadn't had a chance to update sooner, I have been insanely busy! Anyways, here's the next chapter! I hope you like it :) And keep reviewing, because I'm actually really excited about what I have planned for you guys next. Hope you enjoy!

"Izzie, Izzie!" Alex called as a team of surgeons and nurses pushed Izzie down the hall towards the OR. Meredith had to hold onto his arm just to keep him grounded, in more ways than one. "Oh God, Iz," he said as he lowered himself into a seat outside of her room. "Mer, you have to let me go with her, she can't do this alone, I need-"

"Alex, she's not alone okay. There are a dozen people in there with her, and all of them just want the best for her."

"Please."

"Alex, I'm sorry, I just can't. Not as a doctor, and right now, I am a doctor." Then, she silently added, "but as your friend, and as Izzie's friend, I wish I could."

"Please, she needs me," At this point, Alex had given up on forming sentences. Instead, he just tried desparately to convey the urgency he felt to Meredith. But he just couldn't find the words for it; he just _needed_ to be there. It was like he _needed_ to breath or _needed_ to blink. It wasn't an option. And, although no-one knew better than Alex that it is absurd that the need to be with a certain person be hardwired into the brain the same way the instinct to breath is, it didn't change the fact that for Alex, it was. So finally, in one last desperate attempt, Alex just looked at Meredith, hoping the pain he was feeling would be evident enough in his eyes that it would convince her to let him go.

"Alex, I'm sorry, but she's out anyways. I promise you can be with her when she wakes up, she'll never know the difference." How was she not getting this!? It wasn't about Izzie knowing he's there for her, it's about actually being there for her. How did Meredith not understand that Alex needed to be there as much for Alex as he did for Izzie because, if anything happened, he would never forgive himself if he wasn't there with her. He needed to be there.

"Mer. Just, he hurt her," by this time, Alex could feel that lump that always comes before tears forming in his throat: he was tired, he was tired of begging, and he was frustrated. "Izzie, she got hurt in a way she didn't deserve, she at least deserves someone holding her hand." Alex just placed his head in his hands as he finished speaking, covering his eyes not daring to hope that she might actually allow him to be with her, to breath again.

Now, Meredith is a good doctor. She is compassionate with her patients, but doesn't get attached, she has the vigor of a good surgeon, but is patient when need be, and because she is a good doctor, she knew that allowing Alex to be with Izzie in surgery was not the right thing to do. He was not legally allowed to be there, and most people couldn't handle seeing the person they care most about exposed in that manner. However, Meredith is also a good friend, and Alex is _not_ most people. So, for these reasons, she knew that she had to let Alex go.

"Fine. Don't make me regret this, it will land on me if you…." But he was already gone, half way done the hall and far out of earshot.

Less than a minute later, Alex burst through the doors of the ER only to find the electrical paddles used to shock a patient's heart back into rhythm lying on a table and a large group of surgeons crowded around Izzie. Alex froze. Had he missed it, was this really it, after everything they had dealt with…..

"Dr. Karev. Karev!" It was Bailey, of course. "What the hell are you doing in here." Only after being yanked out of his head, which at the moment was being painted with all shades of panic (inside and out) did Alex hear the steady beeping in the background. She's okay. Her heart is beating! _Thank God_, he thought to himself.

It took another sharp "Karev," a few moments later to bring him back to full awareness.

"Sorry, what?"

"I asked why the hell you are in my OR."

"Umm, Dr. Grey sent me here to.." So it wasn't completely true, but it wasn't really a lie, as long as it kept Alex in the Or, he could care less.

"Fine, but you get in my way, and you'll never set foot inside an OR again. If you make me mess this up, mark my words, I will make it my mission to make sure that your career never bounces back." But Alex had no intention of messing her up, for obvious reasons. At this moment, he could care less about the future of his career: if he made Bailey mess this up, he would lose something worth a hell of a lot more to him than a job.

Alex walked over to Izzie's right side where her arm was stretched out in a straight line and filled with every sort of needle possible. Then he took her and in his and bent his head down to kiss her knuckles through his surgical mask. Then in a slightly muffled tone, he whispered gently, "Its okay Iz, I'm here."

However, in the emergency room, trouble was brewing….

So.... Please let me know what you think! Do you guys like the direction I'm taking it in? The next part is a whole big story line, so please let me know if you want me to go ahead with it. I think you might like it......... I am also waiting for those new Lexzie stories we had been discussing. Please let me know if you come out with any!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving/Turkey Day/Thursday depending on where you are from. And before you leave, don't forget to review :)


	4. The Runner

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving! I wanted to let you all know that I wrote the last chapter today, so I now know how this is going to end. But don't worry, it won't be coming for a while, a lot has to happen between now and then. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! As always, if you have any ideas or complaints, please feel free to let me know!

Disclaimer: I'm starting to feel better about where Shonda is taking us, so I think I might let her keep it.

Rating: NC-17

_In the ER, trouble was brewing……._

The doors to the emergency room opened, making way for a pair of paramedics pushing a gurney on top of which lay a man in his mid to late 30's. He was not bad looking, but he was not handsome. He had brown hair, was of average build and average height. Everything about him was well, average. Everything except his eyes. His eyes were blue, and cold. So cold in fact, that Lexie's first thought when she saw him was that if she looked into his eyes for too long, her insides may just turn as cold as they were.

Lexie looked around for a superior, anyone who may be able to help her, but it seemed all of the residents had disappeared. "What happened?" She asked the paramedics in a matter-of-fact tone that she had often heard coming from the mouth of Dr. Bailey.

"Alfred Charles, 37 year old male, found three blocks away. Laceration to the right leg, appears to be a stab wound. Says-"

"Okay," Lexie said, cutting off the paramedic's endless drabble. "Alright Mr. Charles, we're gonna take care of you. Take him to trauma center 3, we'll examine his wound and hopefully get him out of here by the morning," she said with a smile on her face as she tapped the side of the gurney twice as a signal of dismissal. The paramedics rolled their eyes, but understood her cue and were off. "Where the hell is everyone.." Lexie muttered under her breath as she looked around her and saw only interns.

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"Okay, closing the incision," Dr. Bailey said as she stitched up the long gash on Izzie's stomach that was_ really_ part incision, part stab wound. "Looks good."

"Ya hear that Iz, looks good. You're gonna be okay." Alex whispered into her ear. He now knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of these words that he so often said to patients. He would never take them lightly again. "You're a fighter Iz, you made it. You did good."

"Dr. Yang, please take Izzie, uh, I mean Dr. Stevens to post op. Monitor her closely. I did an excellent job, I don't want anything going wrong because my residents are too lazy to watch her after she's all sewn up.

"Yes mam," Cristina replied in an unusually quiet voice.

Minutes later, Izzie was in a recovery room on the second floor, once again resting peacefully. Alex however, who was still at her side, was feeling far from peaceful. He just watched her, just watched as she breathed, afraid that if he stopped watching, if he stopped making sure she was in fact alive, she would stop breathing. His beliefs were unfounded, he knew that, but it didn't change the fact that he was terrified of leaving her alone. After what that bastard had done to her….. Alex just prayed that she wouldn't remember any of it, and that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have to spend years of her life reliving this day.

However, being able to move past this day would most likely require catching the man (if he could in fact be called a man) that had caused all this pain. And catching this man, would require a rape kit, which Alex still not told anyone Izzie needed. But he had made a decision: the next person who came to check on her, he would tell.

It turned out that this next person Meredith. Meredith and Christina and George and Callie and Mark. Once each of them had squeezed through the door, it was silent for several seconds. Then once again George asked, "What the hell happened?"

"I-I don't know exactly." This was a lie, Alex did know, but how was he supposed to announce it to all of these people.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" George was frustrated. Actually they all were, they all wanted to know what had happened. Yet, everyone else remained silent; they all just stared at Alex. Finally, he ripped his gaze away from Izzie and looked at the horde of people crowded into the far corner of the room.

"She called me, and I found her in an alley. I picked her up, and I brought her here. She wouldn't tell me what happened, but.." Alex trailed off.

"But what." It was Meredith this time, chiming in with a much calmer voice that George had managed.

"I think she was attacked. I think he assaulted her.. I think-I think she was raped." He had said it. The words had left his lips, and he was hit by a wave that would have been relief, but instead it mixed with the anger and exhaustion he was feeling and just made him want to scream.

Again, nobody said anything. Not out of respect, but just because each of them was at a loss for words.

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Back in the ER, Lexie was stitching up the laceration on Alfred Charles' leg, trying desperately to avoid his icy gaze while making conversation. However, he refused to answer any of her questions with anything but a grunt or, "can I go soon." He certainly was in a hurry to be somewhere.

"So where ya from," Lexie said in an unfittingly cheery voice.

"Are ya almost done, I gotta go."

"Yeah, I'm almost finished, but you really should stay around a bit, we should make sure there are no more injuries."

"No. I'm fine, I really just, um, how much longer?"

"I'm just getting ready to bandage the wound. After that, I suppose I can have a nurse get your discharge papers, as long as you realize you are leaving against medical advice."

"Yeah, okay, fine."

"Okay." Lexie said, gathering up her things. "I'll get one of the nurses to bring you the papers, you should be out of here in a few minutes." The patient just grunted and Lexie left the room without looking back, wholly unsatisfied with their interaction.

However, when Nurse Tyler entered the room about three minutes later with the discharge papers, it was vacant: the patient had disappeared. Tyler just shrugged and left the room, leaving a message with the nurse at the nurses' station for Lexie: _Your patient was a runner. Guess he really didn't want to be here. Sorry._

A/N: Soooo, what did you think? Have you figured it out yet? More to come soon! Please review and let me know if you're still liking it. And remember, happy writers write more, and reviews make me a very happy writer :)


	5. The Awakening

Dedication: As corny as it may sound, I'd really like to dedicate this chapter to all of the wonderful people who have taken the time to review my story! I so appreciate it!

Disclaimer: If I owned Grey's Anatomy, people who died would well, stay dead.

A/N: Hey everyone, so here's the next chapter. I hope everyone has seen the latest epi of Grey's Anatomy (All By Myself)! It had some pretty amazing scenes! What do you think is coming next?? For anyone who wants, I was thinking you could post ideas in reviews.

In addition, I'm sure all of you out there know that the next episode isn't until 1/8/2009! Way to long to wait for my taste, so I will officially be updating at least once a week (maybe more if you guys really want) to help tide us all over. I really hope some of you will do the same!

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"Izzie," George said as he moved towards his friend, resting his hand lightly on top of hers. "How did this…How did you get yourself into this mess?"

_How did she get herself into this mess, how did __**she**__?_ Alex was incredulous with George's words. So what if he hadn't meant it like that, so what if she couldn't hear it, in Alex's eyes it was black and white: you just don't say that, you don't even think it.

"She didn't. She didn't do this, so you don't get to say that. How could you say that?" Alex said, his eyes still fixed on Izzie's broken figure. "You don't get to say that, this is not her fault," He tore his gaze from Izzie and turned to look at George. "This is my fault, this is my fault," Alex's voice was slowly escalating, however, it was hard to tell who he was frustrated with: George or himself. "This is all, I should have…..This is not her fault." George took a step back, wishing that he hadn't spoken those unfortunate words; of course he knew it wasn't her fault, he didn't mean for it to sound like that, but just like in the OR, you get punished for your mistakes, no matter how innocent they are.

It was at this precise moment that Izzie decided to wake up. Meredith was the first to notice. "Alex, Alex," she said in an urgent whisper, hoping Alex would let it go so Izzie could at least wake to a peaceful room, she'd been through enough, she at least deserved that.

"What?" Alex said, looking at Meredith with eyes that made it clear he was _not_ happy she had interrupted. She just pointed at Izzie's bed. Alex's eyes followed the trajectory of her finger, realizing what Meredith was pointing at just in time for Izzie to open her eyes.

"Iz," he said in a way that made it sound more like a prayer than a name. A smile erupted on his face as he watched her eyes searched the room, slowly taking in her surroundings. Finally, her gaze collided with Alex's. "Izzie."

Izzie smiled, still not quite sure of where she was.

"Hey," she said smiling at the figure perched on the side of her bed.

Alex's hand moved to her face and he gently pushed a few out-of-place hairs away from her eyes, allowing his hand to linger on her cheek for a several seconds.

"Hey," he responded, with what Izzie would have sworn were tears in his eyes.

"Where, what's wrong?" She asked, searching Alex's face for an answer; she was becoming more confused by the second.

"You don't remember?" Meredith asked, finally pulling Izzie's focus towards the horde of doctors in her room.

"Mer?"

"Hey Iz," Meredith smiled softly, realizing that she probably should have let Alex handle the situation. After all, Meredith by no means wanted to explain the situation to Izzie.

"What's going on?"

Alex responded this time: "Izzie, you're in the hospital." He debated for a moment about whether or not he really wanted to remind her of what happened, but she would remember soon enough, and he really didn't want her hearing it from anyone else. "Do you remember, earlier tonight, you were supposed to meet me at the bar-" Izzie's hand quickly flew to her mouth as her eyes filled with a look that can only be described as horror.

"Oh my –" She said quietly as she slowly pulled her hand from Alex's grip. "Oh my god. I-Oh my god" Izzie closed her eyes and gripped the blue knit blanket covering her bruised and broken figure so tightly her knuckles turned white as she relived the events of the night, shaking slightly all the while. Alex so desperately wanted to take her in his arms and kiss every part of her body until all of her pain was gone. But he couldn't: not now, and definitely not after what she had experienced. So instead, he just said her name once again, trying to bring her back to reality and away from the terrible events of the night.

"Izzie." Alex's hand slowly approached Izzie's, fearing that she would most likely pull it away once again. However, she did not. It appeared she was too consumed by shock to even be aware of her surroundings. "Izzie, Iz look at me. Iz."

"Alex, he… he." She looked at him once again, and the terrified look in her eyes tore at Alex's heart.

"I know, I know Iz. But its over now, okay. He can't hurt you now." It took all of Alex's will power to keep himself from crying as he stared at the woman he had failed so terribly to protect. "Izzie, I'm here now. I will not let anyone hurt you okay. You are safe, its gonna be okay now, you're gonna be okay…" Alex continued to stare into her eyes as he brought his hand to her face and began rubbing his thumb in circles over her cheek, wiping away the tears running down her face. And there they sat for what may have been minutes or days: locked in each other's gaze as Alex whispered reassurances to his damsel in distress until she stopped crying.

The new day was imminent and the light of the sun threatened to soon make its appearance. However, none of them could have guessed what this new day would bring.

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A/N: So what do you think? Please let me know! Any ideas for scenes you might want me to include? Anything you really liked or really didn't? Thanks so much to all of you wonderful reviewers out there! I really appreciate the reviews, they just make my day!


	6. The Blame

A/N: Hey everyone! I know, I usually update earlier in the week, but its the week before break, so of course I was ridiculously busy. I hope you like this chapter, it's pretty much just Lexzie fluff (which is always a good thing), but its real purpose is to set up the next chapter.

A/N 2: Thought you guys might find it kind of amusing. The other day, the fire alarm went off at school and I just stood up and yelled, "seriously." But it wasn't until later that week, when a girl commented on how often I say "seriously", that I realized I have been spending waaaay too much time in Shondaland :)

Disclaimer: I love disclaimers because they're really just a way for me to complain about them bringing Denny back, or anything else that's bothering me about the show. So, here it goes: if I owned Grey's Anatomy, there would be an adorable little Lexzie baby, Derek would have picked Meredith back in season two, and when I put the names Ava/Rebecca and Denny in the same sentence as "Grey's Anatomy", people would be very confused

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At some point or another, the rest of the doctors had left the room leaving Alex and Izzie alone with one another. And at some point after that, Izzie had closed her eyes. Alex, who had assumed she was asleep, just held her hand and sat next to her, his eyes never leaving her broken figure. He couldn't help but think about what had happened to her, about how he never should have left the bar, how he should have tried harder to find her before leaving. _I was__ right next-door, not even 100 feet away, and I just let it happen_. Finally, he bent his head down and whispered into her ear: "I'm so sorry Izzie. I'm so sorry."

She turned her head towards him and opened her eyes. Apparently, he had been wrong in assuming she was asleep. She responded quietly, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

"You didn't do it."

"But I didn't stop it." She shook her head slightly at turned away from Alex's worried expression, staring at the stark white wall of her hospital room.

"Me neither." How had he not seen this coming? She had finally calmed down and now he had made her cry once again.

"Izzie, Izzie look at me." He hooked his finger under her chin and turned her head towards him. "Iz, this is not your fault."

"No. No, Alex, you weren't there. I should have fought back. I shouldn't have let him…. I made it so easy. I should have done something, but he….he-" Alex interrupted; he couldn't let her do this to herself.

"Izzie, you need to understand this. This is not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong. It's him. Its that bastard. Its his fault Izzie, not yours, okay?" He stroked her cheek with his thumb, wiping away her tears and never allowing his eyes to stray from hers. She nodded at him.

"But Alex," she took a deep breath, wincing when her lungs pressed against her broken ribs, "I need you to understand why I didn't stop him." Did she really think so little of him? Did she really feel that she needed to explain why she was raped? He would never, ever, even consider blaming her for it. He would never ask her to explain herself.

"Izzie-" He stopped talking when he noticed the look she was giving him, it was so pained and so desperate. Then he understood; she didn't need him to understand, she needed herself to understand. She needed to forgive herself for what had happened, and it broke Alex's heart. But he wasn't quite sure of what to say. _Izzie, I understand,_ sounded pretty empty at this point, and, _It's not your fault_, didn't hold all that much more meaning. So, he opted for this: "Izzie, you can tell me what happened if you want, and you can tell me what he looked like, and you can tell me what it felt like. You can tell me what he did, but not for a second will I ever believe that this is your fault. Not for half a second will I believe that you have anything to be sorry for. And I will listen to you explain it and help me understand what you are going through, because Izzie, all I want is to make this go away, and I would do anything to make you stop hurting. But you do **not** need to make me understand why you couldn't stop him. Izzie, you are the victim, you did nothing wrong."

She smiled a little bit, and Alex thought that he may have finally convinced her. "Okay," she said quietly. But, something he had said really stuck with her: she's the victim. She had never played that part before; she was always strong and she always picked up the pieces, getting back in the saddle, or so to speak.

Alex, meanwhile, just stared at her, wondering what she was thinking about. Was she thinking about the attack? On some level, he wanted her to tell him about it, because nothing could be worse than what he was imagining, or the images that kept flashing through his mind. But on the other hand, what if it was as bad as he was imagining? And what if making her relive it only made it worse for her? That was his first concern, making sure that she didn't suffer anymore than she already had, and he was willing to devote the rest of his life to this task.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. It was a nurse, but not one that either of them had ever met. She was short and thin, with brown eyes and brown mousy hair. She was most definitely non-threatening, Alex supposed this was probably why she was sent to bother them rather than someone else.

"Hello, I'm Maria. I'm here to collect evidence for the rape kit." She held up a clipboard covered in a stack of paper waiting to be signed and a box filled with the necessary supplies. "And the police are outside, waiting for your statement. We can start with which ever one you want, although most prefer to start with the rape kit, to get it out of the way." She smiled sweetly, clearly unaware of the pain she was inflicting on Izzie by bombarding her with all of this information. Izzie hadn't even considered a rape kit, or talking to the police. She didn't want to be violated again; she didn't want to relive every detail. But then she thought of what Alex had said earlier, about being a victim, and she realized that this was her chance at revenge.

"Okay," she said weakly, holding onto Alex's hand for dear life. "Okay, I can do this." Then she looked at him, the man who was so loyally at her bedside and said, "I think I can do this, right? It can't _really _make it any worse. It won't hurt, right?" How was he supposed to answer that? So, instead of an answer, he tightened his grip on her hand and smiled at her because, he was in it, and he was therefore her, for better or worse.

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A/N: So, what do you think???? All you have to do is write a little review, it won't take long at all, and, it will make me very happy!!!!

**Important: By the way, anyone who doesn't yet know (who wants to know), I know what's going on with the whole Denny situation as well as how long it will last. So, if you want to know, just put a little note in your review and I'll send you a message. And to all of you who have been reviewing, thank you so much! I really appreciate all of the wonderful feedback!**


	7. The Promise

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm sooo sorry for the long wait, real life got in the way. The holidays have been absolutely crazy! So here's the next chapter. I had a little trouble getting started with it, and I thought a lot about whether or not to include the actual rape kit in the story, but it offered too much potential for good fluff, so I had to put it in. It's all pretty vague, so I wouldn't worry too much about it, it's more of a background event than anything else. Also, I wanted to say thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, they are the reason I've continued this fic, and I'm so glad that I have! Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Does anyone seriously think that I own Grey's Anatomy. Seriously?

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After getting everything and everyone in place, Nurse Maria and a female cop were the only two who remained in the room with Izzie, the cop having asked Alex to wait outside assuming that Izzie wouldn't want to share this experience with anyone else. So, Izzie lied alone in her hospital bed with only an unfamiliar hand belonging to her by an unfamiliar policewoman to offer her support. "Okay, I'm about to start, but whenever you need, you tell me to stop and I will, no questions asked, alright?" Izzie began to nod her head and closed her eyes, trying to pretend she was somewhere else. Somewhere with Alex, without some nurse she had never met and a cop who thought she was a lot more helpful and comforting than she actually was.

"Wait stop," Izzie said, her eyes flying open.

"I haven't really started yet," Maria responded, sounding almost annoyed. However, she swallowed her annoyed tone and returned to her impossibly sweet one saying, "What's wrong, can I start again?"

"It's just um- am I allowed to have someone with me for this, is that..is that allowed?"

This time the policewoman answered her question, clearly a bit surprised. "Yes, it's just that normally people want to do this in private. But uh, if you want us to get someone for you before we start, we can." Izzie looked from her to Maria, still positioned between Izzie's legs looking at the blonde expectantly.

"Alex. Can you get Alex."

"Sure, I'll page-." Maria pulled her pager out from her belt hesitating momentarily. "Now what does she look like again."

"He."

"Excuse me."

"What does _he_ look like again." The policewoman, still sitting in a chair next to Izzie's bed, looked almost right out shocked at this, and apparently, couldn't help but interrupt-

"Are you sure?" Izzie just gave her a confused look. "I mean-are you sure you want a man in here for this, we just want you to feel comfortable." How were they not getting this: she wanted Alex there, he would make her comfortable. She had had possibly the worst day of her life, and really, all Izzie wanted to do was curl up with her head resting on the chest of none-other than Alex Karev and cry. But instead, she was stuck in a hospital bed with two strangers about to violate her for the second time in 24 hours, and all she was asking is that they page someone for her, because they only way this would be okay, is if he was here with her.

"Yes I'm sure. Can you please just page him."

It would be an understatement to say that Alex panicked when he received a page and a message telling him to get to Izzie Steven's room as soon as possible, and it would be an understatement to say that he was relieved when he found out why he was paged. He jumped from his chair in the hall outside her room, pushing past the police stationed outside the door, and making a rather dramatic entrance as he just about tripped over his own feet trying to make it back to Izzie.

"What's wrong? Why did you page me?" He said, as he walked over to Izzie's bedside in a much calmer manner than that of his entrance just moments before. "Are you okay?" Izzie wasn't quite sure how to answer that question. Fortunately, she didn't have to, as the policewoman again interrupted.

"She asked for you to be here for this," she said, tilting her head in the direction of Maria as she finished speaking. In response, Alex smiled at Izzie and kissed her forehead, taking a hold of her hand.

"Are you ready?" Maria asked yet again. Izzie closed her eyes as she had before, and tried to prepare herself for what was to come-but this time, she didn't have to pretend she was anywhere else with anyone else, because this time, Alex was there with her. "You ready?" Maria asked again, the annoyed undertone returning to her voice.

"Yeah." Izzie said softly, prompting Alex to plant yet another soft kiss on her cheek as he squeezed her left hand- the hand that was so desperately gripping his.

"You can do this," he whispered into her ear, wishing that he could just do this for here. Because he would-if it would make her stop hurting-he would. He just hoped that she knew that.

Alex felt Izzie's body tense as Maria began the exam, and watched her cringe as Maria collected samples. "You okay?" he asked, as Izzie's face crinkled further and a few tears escaped her eyes.

"Yeah-just-hurts," Izzie said, taking a breath between each word, still not opening her eyes.

"Why-" Alex started to ask her, but, realizing that Izzie couldn't provide him with an answer, he turned his head and directed his question towards the nurse instead. "Why does it hurt."

"It shouldn't hurt too much, but there is significant bruising and trauma, so a moderate amount of pain should be expected." Maria said quietly, knowing that neither Izzie nor Alex would really benefit from an answer. "Plus, they took her off of the morphine-" Now it was Alex's turn to interrupt.

"Why did they taking her off morphine? She just got out of surgery a few hours ago." Maria seemed at a loss for an answer to this question, so the policewoman answered for her.

"They had to. She must be sober for her statement to hold any weight in court- we don't want to give the defense attorney anything when we catch this guy, so she can't be on a narcotic pain medication." She smiled a little, trying to provide a sense of encouragement. Alex looked back down at Izzie, squeezing her hand again.

"They've started her on a prescription dose of both acetaminophen and ibuprofen though. Which helps-just not as much as the morphine."

Izzie could tell Alex was getting impatient, so she intervened, hoping that he would shift his focus back to her.

"I'm fine-it's okay." She said, in such a weak tone of voice that she wasn't very convincing. However, her words brought Alex back to why he was really there, not to hassle the nurse, but to take care of Izzie.

"I think I'm supposed to be telling you that," he said with a hint of a smile before kissing her cheek for the umteenth time.

"Okay-all done," Maria said as she began to collect her things and headed for the door. "I'll give you two a minute and then send the other officers in," she said as she exited the room, closely followed by the female cop.

"You did it," Alex said, when him and Izzie were finally alone.

"Yeah," Izzie said, giving him a small smile as she tried to roll over a bit to face him, only to feel a bolt of pain shoot up through the side of her body. Alex's expression changed as he saw Izzie's being react to the pain.

"How bad is it?"

"5 and a half-maybe more of a 6 sometimes, but only 'cause I'm so tired." They were silent for a few minutes, the both of them enveloped in their thoughts. Finally, Izzie spoke again. "Alex, thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here, for staying with me. I don't know what…" Izzie trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.

"You don't need to thank me Iz. And you don't need to worry about what would happen if, you know, cause I'm not going anywhere-I promise."

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A/N: A month ago, if I had read a fic with Alex saying the sort of things he says to Izzie in the last line of this chapter, I wouldn't have believed it. But, I'm taking advantage of his character's sudden growth to create some really sweet (or what I think are really sweet) Lexzie moments. Although the premise of this story is absolutely awful, it has provided many opportunities to see Alex's sweet side, and this chapter was a bit longer than the others, which gives him an even greater opportunity to make us all swoon :) hopefully that makes up for the wait to a certain degree. Really hope you all enjoyed the chapter- it's a bit different from the others, just because that's how it turned out- so please let me know what you think!


	8. The Story

**A/N: Hey Everyone!!! I'm so incredibly sorry for the long wait! Truth be told, I had been spoiled by all the wonderful reviews, so at first I was waiting for a few more. And then, life just got it the way. It just keeps doing that. Anyways, here's the next chapter. It's not particularly long, but I figured you guys would want the update, so I'm posting it! Thank you so much to all of you who have taken the time to read this story, I really am enjoying writing it. And special thanks to those of you who take time out of your busy lives to review! **

**Disclaimer: If Grey's Anatomy was mine, the years of medical school that these doctors went through would be enough for them to realize that it's not normal to have sex with dead people. Nobody else *cough*Alex*cough* has figured out that she might be sick? Seriously????**

Their intimate moment was interrupted by a quiet knock at the door. It opened slightly revealing the face of the female cop who had left the room just minutes earlier.

"You ready?" She asked, her demeanor still much too cheery for the situation.

"Yes." Izzie said in response, her voice bringing Alex's eyes back to her form once again. All of this was finally starting to sink in and feel as though it might have actually happened. Up until this point, Alex had done all of it, he had sat through all of it, but he hadn't been sure how much of it was real and how much of it was just a bad dream. So, even if Izzie said she was ready for what was to come, he wasn't sure he was, because it would just make it more real - make the wound deeper.

"Okay, let's get to it then," the policewoman said as she perched herself at the foot of Izzie's bed. "Let's start with how you met him. Had you known him before tonight, did you two have a drink, or..?" She trailed off, leaving it up to Izzie to complete the thought.

"I had never seen him before," Izzie started her explanation, then took a deep breath and looked at Alex for reassurance. He smiled and nodded back at her, half-heartedly encouraging her to go on. "I was crossing the street, on my way to the bar, when I heard someone scream. I looked around, but I couldn't see anyone. Then, he screamed again. I figured out the scream was coming from the ally next to the bar." Izzie paused once again, taking another deep breath, and contemplating whether or not she wanted to go on. Just then, Alex gave her hand a little squeeze, bringing her back to reality, and she continued to recount the events of the previous evening. "I walked over, and there was a man sitting next to the dumpster. So, I called out that I was a doctor, that I could help, and I walked towards him. When I was only a few feet away, he jumped up, and he.." Izzie's voice had lost its calm tone, and was beginning to waver as she tried to keep her tears from forming completely and leaving her eyes.

"It's okay, take your time," the cop said, nodding in Alex's direction in a way that suggested he should do something about Izzie's tears. He just kissed her forehead and rested his hand on her pillow so it cupped the side of her face.

"Okay. So, he jumped up and he..he had a knife, and he put the knife under my chin," she said as her hand moved to the place where her chin joined her neck, "and then he walked forwards, and pushed me back until I was up against the wall." "And then he-" Izzie's eyes moved away from the blank wall she had been staring at and towards the cop who was so diligently recording her every word in a notepad. "Is that, I mean, do I have to go on?"

"No, no, that's enough. Just a few more questions. Did he say, or do anything that might help us identify him?"

"He-he never said anything, or-" the cop cut her off.

"Did he have a distinctive smell, or any distinctive features?"

"No, no I don't think so. I don't know, it was dark, I couldn't really see anything." The cop fired another question at her; she seemed to be in a bit of a hurry.

"Was he abnormally large, or short, thin, could you make out a skin color?"

"He was white, I'm almost positive. But he was, he was really normal I think. I'm sorry, I couldn't quite tell."

"It's fine, you did great," she said, smiling in Izzie's direction. "Okay, that's it for now, but-" she got up off of Izzie's bed and gathered up all her things, pulling something out of her pocket as she did so- "call me if you remember anything else. And, I'll let the nurse know we're done-she'll get you started on the morphine again as soon as possible"

As the cop walked away, the room remained dead silent apart from the sound of her foot steps and the opening of the door, and her last remarks before she exited: "we'll do our best to catch this guy, promise." Moments later, another unfamiliar nurse walked in, and connected a bag full of a clear solution labeled morphine to Izzie's I.V. She then exited the room and closed the door, leaving Alex and Izzie alone in their own little world.

"You did great," Alex said, grateful that the cop hadn't made her go into detail about the attack. Izzie remained silent for several minutes.

"I don't, I don't want to think about it."

"Okay, let's talk about something else," Alex said, smiling at her. But Izzie still looked as though she was on the verge of tears.

"No, I mean I don't ever want to think about it again. But now that I have, I can't stop."

"Iz." She hated the pity in his eyes. And Izzie was reminded once again that, at this moment, she was a victim. And she was quickly becoming very, very frustrated with this role. She was used to being the care-giver, to taking care of others when they were hurt, and baking enough cookies that they could just eat their problems away. No, Izzie wasn't used to receiving that look, she was used to giving it. The problem was, she didn't know how to get out of this-how to stop being the victim when she couldn't stop thinking about the very thing that had made her this way.

"It won't, it won't go away. I can't make it-" Alex moved from his chair beside Izzie to the edge of her bed.

"Shhh, shhh," she said as he stroked the side of her face. His voice was barely louder than a whisper as he continued to sooth his damsel in distress, "Shhh, it's okay. You're here now, you're safe, you're gonna be okay. Just look at me. Look at me, okay? I'm not leaving you, okay. So you're safe, right now, you're safe." And Alex sat there next to her until she calmed down-until she felt safe again. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to both of them, Izzie closed her eyes and was able to get some much-needed rest. As she felt her body relax, her mind continued to be soothed by the reassuring words of the man at her side, and she was able to realize, that maybe she deserved to be taken care of this time. And that maybe, just maybe, having Alex taking care of her wasn't the worst thing in the world.

**A/N2:I've been meaning to write this for a while: I just want to make sure that everyone know that by writing this fic, I am in NO way making light of the situation that Izzie has been put in. As I have never experienced a traumatic event comparable to this my self, I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like. However, I try to make it clear that I do take this seriously, and if it EVER**** seems that I am taking it lightly, or not doing an appropriate job representing Izzie's part in this story, I am so very sorry, and please let me know. I'm no artist when it comes to writing, but it's important to me that I do a decent enough job representing this story that no one is horribly offended or bothered by it. **

**A/N3: So, what did you think of the chapter? Any thoughts? And any thoughts on the latest episode (Stairway to Heaven), do you really think that's the last we'll be seeing of Denny? Please review, it makes me so very happy! **


	9. Chapter 9 The Dream pt 1

**A/N: Hey everyone! I know, it's been forever since I updated, and I'm so very sorry! I made this chapter a bit longer to make, and I've already begun working on the second part, so it should be uploaded by Monday for sure. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Most of it may seem a bit off topic, but I have a plan that I'm pretty sure will surprise you guys :)**

**Disclaimer: I really really wish I owned Grey's Anatomy. So, if anyone is looking for a good gift for me, keep that in mind :)**

Meredith walked into the room to find Izzie and Alex lying next to each other in Izzie's bed, both of them fast asleep. She lifted Izzie's chart off of the table beside her bed and wrote down her sleeping friend's current vitals, deciding that taking her temperature could wait until she had woken up. She turned around and exited the room with a smile, relieved that all of the events of the previous evening had dissipated, and her friends were finally able to get some much needed sleep.

Meredith turned to the left and began to walk down the hall, only to be interrupted by the one and only Derek Shepherd.

"Hey," she said, walking up to him. He nodded and smiled at her in return, then reached for the chart she had been holding and flipped through it.

"How's she doing?" he asked, handing the chart back to Meredith.

"Asleep. Which is good, I guess." Both of the doctors were silent for a moment, then Meredith broke the silence as she let out a breath and said, "I can't believe this is happening. I mean, it's Izzie. She's bright and shiny and..." then trailed off, once again at a loss for words.

"She'll be okay. Maybe not as bright and shiny," he said, smiling at her, "but she'll make it. She's young, and she's tough."

"Yeah. But I'm not sure anyone's tough enough to make it out of this mess in one piece." Derek pushed a piece of Meredith's hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead.

"That's what friends are for. You have to help her pick up the pieces."

"Yeah." Meredith sighed and rested her head on Derek's chest, wishing that she could stay there all day. Just then, her pager went off. "It's Lexie, I- I gotta go," she said, receiving a reassuring look from Derek before she hurried towards the ER.

When she arrived in the emergency room, she found Lexie running frantically from room to room and doing her best to maintain a calm demeanor. Meredith walked up to her and placed her hand on her half-sister's shoulder, hoping she could get Lexie to slow down for a moment. Instead, her touch surprised the intern and she jumped, then turned around with a stunned look upon her face.

"Lexie, what's up."

"Everyone's gone- all of the doctors who are supposed to be here, every single one of them left. And I don't know what to do because I'm not a doctor-I mean, I'm an intern, but I'm not really a doctor, and-"

"Lexie, slow down."

"No, it gets worse. Then, on the way out, apparently my weird patient ran into a shelf, and it fell on another patient-"

"It fell on a patient!?" Meredith exclaimed, sounding as incredulous as she looked.

"Yeah. See, this is bad, I knew this was bad," Lexie said, bringing her nails up to her mouth and gnawing gently on one.

"Well, it's definitely not good. Where's the patient."

"The one that left or the one that-"

"The one that's still here," Meredith said, her impatience becoming increasingly noticeable in her tone.

"In that room," Lexie said, pointing to the room behind her and to the right. Meredith began walking in that direction, and all the while, Lexie continued to inform her of the situation. "We sutured up all of his cuts, and we gave him a CT scan, I think he's okay. I just- no one was answering my page so." She took a breath and sighed as Meredith turned around to look at her once again. "I tried."

"Lexie, you did a fine job. Relax. Besides, someone should have answered your page. Now go and deal with the other patients, I'll deal with Mr.-"

"Petreson."

"Petreson. Okay," Meredith said, plastering an unnaturally large grin upon her face and walking the rest of the way into the room.

The man lying in the bed look as though he was around 30. He was 5'10" and about 170 pounds. He had pale skin, brown eyes, and dirty blonde hair. He was neither handsome nor ugly. He was very plain. From the tip of his head down to his toes, there was nothing that really made Mr. Petreson stand out. He was, for lack of a better phrase, exceedingly average.

"Mr. Petreson," Meredith said smiling at the man. "I'm Dr. Grey. I wanted to check in and see how you were doing."

"Dr. Grey. I thought the last doctor was Dr. Grey."

"She is, we are related. Well, we're technically half sisters. My father is her father but I don't really know her." Mr. Petreson smiled as Meredith struggled to explain the situation.

"I have some of those too. Actually, two of them. Half siblings I've never actually met. We share a last name and father, but nothing else."

"Exactly. Except I have to share a workplace with mine."

"Were you from the first or second family?"

"First-"

"Me too. And I always kind of hated my Dad's other family – can't imagine seeing them everyday."

"Yeah, well. I'm not always what you might call nice to her," Meredith said, as her forced smile turned into a genuine one.

"Nobody's perfect," he said smiling. There was a lull in conversation as Meredith picked up his chart and looked at the first page.

"So, Mr. Petreson-"

"Please, call me Joey."

"Okay- Joey, so what brought you in here today."

"Well, this man ran into a shelf-"

"No, I mean, what brought you in here in the first place?" Meredith asked as she flipped to the last page of his chart and took out a pen.

"Oh, sorry. I hurt my ribs," he said, moving his hand to his lower left ribs. "No big deal though. Probably didn't need to come to the emergency room."

"And how did you injure your ribs?"

"It's stupid- I was, well. I was working at my desk, and I leaned back to pet my dog, and the chair tipped over."

"Ouch," Meredith said making a face, and jotting down notes in Joey's chart. "Did you injure anything but your ribs?"

"No, that was it. I suppose I got lucky."

"Yeah. Well, it appears as though the injuries you sustained were mostly minor. If it's all right with you, we'd like keep you here over night for observation-just to make sure everything is okay. And the bill I'm sure will be on us, so don't worry about that." Joey nodded and Meredith put the chart down, then began to walk towards the door. However, before she left he stopped her saying:

"Doctor Grey. Don't worry, I have no intentions of suing the hospital. I don't care much for cops," he said smiling in Meredith's direction. She smiled back and exited the room, waving on her way out.

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In Izzie's room, Izzie and Alex were still asleep side by side on her bed, when Izzie's eyes suddenly shot open. Her body tensed up, and she inhaled sharply, then let the breath go shakily, and inhaled again. This continued for around 15 seconds before Alex opened his eyes and regained a high enough level of consciousness to figure out what was going on.

"Iz." He sat up, looking into Izzie's terror stricken eyes. "Izzie. Izzie, calm down, it's okay, it's all okay." He swung his legs around and got off of the bed, standing beside Izzie's bed once again. "Iz, look at me. You're having a panic attack okay. I need you to look at me." Alex took Izzie's face in his hands and moved it slightly so her eyes were looking directly into his. "Okay, good job. Now breath Izzie. Come on, breath with me. In, out……"

To Be Continued....

**A/N 2: So, what did you think? Please let me know! I do love reviews, and they make me update so much faster :) I also had an idea for a few chapters from now that I would love comments on. What if I worked the fact that Izzie has a daughter that almost no one knows about into the conversation. After all, it would probably be in her medical records that I'm sure Seattle Grace would want a copy of her medical records from her previous doctor.... I thought it might be interesting.**

**Discussion topic/spoilers: So, for any of you who are not quite as obsessive as me and do not know this, apparently it's not going to be a merder wedding that takes place in a few episodes. And, Ausiello has recently informed us that it is not Cristina and Owen either. So, that leaves two possibilities that I can think of: A couple made up of a 24 year old, and well, Mark, and Alex and Izzie. What do you think? Could there be a Lexzie wedding in store for us this season? **


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